With a top price of £2,290, four others at £2,000 and above, and a further six at £1,900 or more, the upturn in the dairy trade continued at Gisburn Auction Mart last Thursday.

 

In the pedigree section, where 23 newly calved heifers levelled at £1,725, the ceiling bid of £2,290 actually came for the champion, a second calf cow from John and James Dugdale Settle, selling to Hill and Davies, Wrexham. A stylish daughter of Misty Springs Smokin, it had done 7,772kg at 4.89 per cent fat and 3.31 per cent protein as a heifer.

 

The reserve champion was a heifer by a home-bred Smellows sire from J D Taylor and Son, Broughton, Skipton. The 31-month-old Smellows Vaakje 15, was out of a high fatting 9,600kg dam and made £2,050 to N W and J M Coulthurst and Son, Goosnargh, Preston. The same buyers were in the market again at £2,100 for another from the Smellows herd, this time a September 2014 daughter of Sully Altameteor.

 

G T and B F Blezard, Ribchester, Preston, paid £2,020 for a Whytil newly calved heifer from J. and M. Singleton and Sons, Goosnargh, Preston. By Goldfish, it is out of a 10,376kg heifer-note dam. And close behind on £2,000 was a Wiltor Cruise daughter from Blackburn exhibitor G D Donkin. It sold to M J Kenyon, Chipping, Preston.

 

There was also good demand for strong, in-calf heifers which peaked at £1,390 and  £1,370 from, respectively, R H and D E Parker, Newton, Slaidburn, and Malcolm Bretton, Brighouse – both selling to D W Shuttleworth, Gargrave, Skipton.

 

Averages: 23 fresh heifers £1,725; 8 cows £1,390; 2 cows £1,140; 10 in-calf heifers £1,187.

Auctioneers: Richard Turner and Son.